


6:55

by soslash



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Death, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Oneshot, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-10
Updated: 2014-05-10
Packaged: 2018-01-24 06:00:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1594202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soslash/pseuds/soslash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn meets Liam every morning at 6:55.</p>
            </blockquote>





	6:55

Every morning, Liam is there, patiently waiting for Zayn. Zayn shows up at the same time every day, like clockwork, so they can watch the sun come up. 6:55 is the time that works perfectly with Zayn’s schedule; he gets up at six, spends forty-five minutes getting ready, drives ten minutes to see Liam, spends thirty-seven minutes with him, drives twenty-eight minutes to work, and arrives fifteen minutes early.

Like always, Zayn parks out front, happily waves at Liam, and walks up and takes a seat on the ground next to him. They talk about everything and anything. They talk about work, family, friends, each other, literally anything. They just enjoy each other’s company.

"So, what’s this I hear about you seeing someone new?" Liam asks, looking at the ground.

"Louis," Zayn explains, "he’s nice… funny bloke."

"Things getting serious?" Liam nudges the boy next to him.

Zayn chuckles a bit. “He’s great,” Zayn says without much conviction. “It’s just… he’s no you.”

Liam sighs. “He shouldn’t have to be,” he says still looking at the ground even though he knows Zayn is looking straight at him. “I’m sure he’s perfect for you just the way he is.”

Zayn shakes his head involuntarily. “You were perfect for me.”

"Well…" Liam squints at the discomfort, "well, we can’t be together anymore."

"Why no-"

"You know why!"

They both sit in silence for a moment. Zayn looks at the time on his phone—his background is a picture of the two of them—and it’s already 7:31. As much as he doesn’t want to leave on this note, he has to go before he makes himself late. So they both apologize for the brief argument and Zayn makes his way to work, wiping his tears in the car.

A few months later, Zayn tells him how he and Louis are thinking of moving in together.

"That’s great, Zayn," Liam says putting his hand on Zayn’s arm, "Louis’ a lucky guy." Though he’s really proud of him for finally being able to move forward in a relationship, his words are only making it harder for Zayn to do so.

"I’ll have to tell him about you," Zayn says, looking at his shoes, "that I come here every day just to see you."

"I’m… I’m sure he’ll understand…" Liam mumbles his words because he isn’t actually sure, just hopeful.

Zayn comes back the next day after explaining everything to Louis.

"He was okay with it," Zayn explains, "but…"

"But what?"

"I think he thought it was strange… like, our relationship. He… he suggested I see you less."

Liam looks down for moment. “Maybe he’s right,” he suggests.

"How can you say that?" Zayn asks, shock in his eyes.

"I’m not saying I want that to happen," Liam defends. "It’s just… I’ve always felt like I’ve been stopping you from moving on in life." Liam ignores and talks over Zayn’s ‘that’s not true!’ argument. "You and I both know that Louis is a great guy, and I don’t want you to lose him because of me. That wouldn’t be fair. I can sacrifice a few days of the week if it means it makes your relationship better in the long run."

Zayn continues to see Liam every day though and Louis doesn’t say anything. They move in together, Louis works from the house, and Zayn kisses him goodbye every day at 6:45. Until one morning, a Thursday, his regular 6:55 meeting is… disrupted. Zayn doesn’t get much work done that day, trying not cry on the job. When he gets home he tries to hide from Louis, but he can see that he’s upset.

"Zayn, what’s wrong?" he asks, stopping on his way into their room.

Zayn pauses, wanting to nudge away from his grip on his arm and walk away, but he knows Louis doesn’t deserve that. “He’s gone,” he chokes.

Louis looks back at Zayn, sees that he’s holding back tears. “What?” Louis questions under his breath, “who’s gone where?”

Zayn sighs and escapes into the room, sitting down on the bed and putting his face in his hands. Louis follows.

"He’s gone," he repeats, "Liam. He wasn’t there." He looks up to see Louis looking back at him, confused and concerned. " _It_  wasn’t there,” he clarifies.

Louis’ face softens and he sits down next to Zayn, rubbing a comforting hand up and down his back. “I’m sorry, babe,” he says, “but sometimes those things get moved… or even taken out.”

Zayn stands up, purposefully moving away from Louis’ touch. “How can they just move a gravestone without telling anyone!?” he practically yells.

Louis looks up at him, afraid of saying anything else that will upset Zayn. Zayn leaves without another word.

He drives back to the cemetery and stands where Liam’s stone used to be. There’s no one around who works there—or anyone at all—to ask where it might have been moved, so he just starts walking down the rows and rows of carved rocks. After spending too long in the empty burial ground, Zayn almost turns around to start walking back to his car. But then he spots it… him. Straight ahead of him he sees Liam, leaning against the headstone the way his always does.

He approaches the other boy… or the figure of the other boy. “Oh my god Liam, I thought I lost you!” he says.

Liam looks up at him, the side of his mouth quirked up slightly. “Good to see you again…” he says as if the two of them are just old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a while.

"Liam," Zayn says, "I thought they took you out of here. I didn’t know what I was going to do."

Liam looks at Zayn and Zayn can see the disappointment in his face. “I know,” he says.

Zayn just wants to talk to him the way he always does, ask him why on earth he’s been moved so far away from his last spot, why it isn’t bothering him, but he doesn’t. It doesn’t feel like the right time, judging by the look on Liam’s face. He just sits across from Liam, cris-crossing his legs the same way Liam is.

"Could it really have been that bad, though?" Liam shrugs, "you know, if you couldn’t find me…"

Zayn feels rejected. Did Liam not want to be found? Is he mad at Zayn for something? “Liam, I thought I lost you again,” he says, feeling a bead of salt water run down his cheek.

"Zayn, you can’t loose someone  _again_. You already lost me, you need to except that.”

His words sting.

Seeing the look on Zayn’s face, he moves his hand to the other boys shin, rubbing his thumb against it in a comforting, apologetic manner. “Look, I miss you, Zayn,” he voices, “more than I miss living, even. But I’m holding you back. You can deny it all you want, but it’s true. You don’t see your friends as much; you hardly ever talk to your family anymore; and you’ve been pushing back on a really great guy—the only guy whose ever tried to understand this part of your life—because of me. I want you to move on… from me.”

Zayn holds his breath, knowing that if he tries to say something he’ll start crying, wailing through his words. But it doesn’t matter, because there’s nothing he can say. Liam’s right. He nods his head, puts his hand over Liam’s which is still resting on his leg.

Then he forces himself off the ground. He can feel Liam’s content eyes on him as he inches away. “I love you,” Zayn whispers. Liam smiles and nods, as if to say, “I love you too.” Zayn turns his back and takes a few steps away, but when he looks over his shoulder, Liam’s gone. He stops for a moment and looks at the stonework, covered in dirt and growing moss around the edges, then he takes a deep breath and leaves.

The next day, Zayn wakes up at 6:47. He gets ready the same way he always does, kisses Louis goodbye (letting it linger a bit longer this time), and drives straight to work. He looks straight ahead the entire drive and puts his hand by his face to block his peripherals when he passes the graveyard. His day at work is completely normal, then he does the same thing on his way home.

That Saturday, Louis takes him back to Liam… well, Liam’s grave. He holds onto his sweaty hand and they silently walk to his new spot in the park. Zayn looks down at the stone with the words carved into it. Louis is caressing his hand with his thumb the same way Liam was his shin two days ago. This is his first time visiting Liam with another person.

"It’s awful," Louis says softly, "that great people have to leave early."

"How do you know he was great?" Zayn says bitterly. Louis doesn’t take any offense though, because it’s a legitimate question considering he’s never met the guy.

"Because you’re great," Louis says, taking his hand out of Zayn’s and snaking it along his waist, pulling them closer. "And he loved you and you loved him back. I think, given the circumstances, he’d have to be great."

Zayn can feel Louis looking up at him with big eyes. He lets his lips fall into a slight smile for the first time in a while and puts his arms around the other boys shoulders. “He was great…” he whispers.

Then they stand there, leaning against each other and holding each other. For the first time in a long time, Zayn feels genuinely happy in Louis’ arms. And finally, after all these years, he realized he doesn’t have to be sitting across from him, talking to him to be with him to be with him. He’s just there all the time. Every day.


End file.
